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Melinda Cruz

Hall of Fame Alumni

Miracle Babies Foundation - CEO and Founder

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Her Story

Melinda Cruz is the CEO and founder of Miracle Babies Foundation – Australia’s leading organisation supporting premature and sick newborns, their families and the hospitals that care for them.

Every year in Australia, 44,000 Australian babies require the care of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN). Melinda knows first-hand the long-term challenges and emotional trauma having a baby in specialised care can bring. Her drive and passion comes from her own personal experience after having three children all born premature.

Since beginning in 2005, Miracle Babies has grown from a small local charity in South West Sydney to a national foundation with support services in hospitals in all states and territories. The incredible difference Melinda has made to thousands of families has seen her win numerous local and national awards, including the 2011 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and be invited as a guest speaker to many conferences both locally and internationally.

Melinda is a trusted expert to medical professionals seeking to improve their treatment and understanding of premature and sick babies and the impact a birth has on the family unit. She is a published author and advocate for parental involvement in perinatal trials. Melinda is also a speaker on not-for-profit start up, entrepreneurialism, women in diversity and living a life on purpose.

During her work, Melinda has learned many valuable lessons – one of them being to trust your gut feeling and act on instinct.

“Your feelings are the biggest conveyor of what is right for you. Your feelings will never let you down. I believe great leaders are able to tap into this well.”

Strategies for Success

  1. Believe in what you are doing.
  2. Build your team with people who are smarter than you.
  3. Create a supportive, meaningful network of external people around you.
  4. Acknowledge out loud both your weaknesses and your strengths.
  5. Have gratitude for everything that comes your way – the triumphs and the challenges.

My Articles

  • A personal life experience led Melinda Cruz to help families with premature and sick babies

Hall of Fame News

  • HerBusiness
    How the 2017 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame women stay motivated and in momentum

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    Running a business is consuming work, and it can be hard to keep on top of everything. We asked some of the 2017 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame inductees how they manage to stay motivated and up-to-date with their businesses.... read more

  • HerBusiness
    Announcing the 2017 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame

    HerBusiness

    From Shoes to Social Enterprise, Fashion to Farmers Markets – The Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame honours Australia’s top female business trailblazers for 2017. In the lead up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame... read more

  • Suzi Dafnis, CEO - HerBusiness
    5 Ways to “Run Your Own Race”

    Suzi Dafnis

    Fashion designer Leona Edmiston is a household name these days. She’s achieved incredible success over the past 30 years, dressing the rich and famous like Elle Macpherson, Britney Spears, Paula Abdul and Susan Sarandon, to name a few. Widely... read more

  • Anna Hooper, Cape Jaffa Wines
    Why failure is in the eye of the beholder

    Suzi Dafnis

    We’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” – it’s an idea that has been widely accepted for centuries, since it first appeared in Greek culture, around the 3rd Century BC. We “get” that... read more

  • 2016 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame inductees announced

    HerBusiness

    In the lead up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, HerBusiness, formerly known as the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, has announced the 2016 inductees to the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame. “The Hall of Fame was established in 1998 to... read more

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